Broadband News
Fri, 20th May 2011
NBN sees city pay rural prices: Hackett
The National Broadband Network won't deliver metro prices to regional Australia, Internode managing director Simon Hackett has said, but will bring regional prices to metro Australia.
Source: ZDNet Australia
NBN Co sets up panel of recruiters to hire 1000 staff
NBN Co has named a clutch of recruitment companies to help with its hirings - an estimated 1000 in the next 12 months. They were chosen from over 300 hopefuls following what it says was a comprehensive tender process.
Source: iTWire
Conroy has "stuffed up" NBN pricing, says Hackett
In the latest salvo in an ongoing war of words with Stephen Conroy and NBN Co, Internode managing director Simon Hackett has accused the Communications Minister of having "stuffed up" the National Broadband Network pricing model in a way that will slow the growth of broadband in Australia.
Source: iTWire
Copyright treaty talks roll on at APEC
Australia's trade minister Craig Emerson on Thursday met with regional and North American trade officials as pressure mounted on the United States to strengthen intellectual property (IP) provisions in the secretive Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP) copyright treaty.
Source: iTnews Australia
Thu, 19th May 2011
One of PM's magnificent NBN seven
Switching to the NBN is like switching on a brand new PC, at least according to one of the seven people in mainland Australia connected to the network.
Source: Australian IT
Internode expands DSLAM network thanks to Blackspot backhaul
Internode has taken advantage of new competitive fibre backhaul capacity installed under the Regional Backbone Blackspots Program to offer ADSL services via it own DSLAM in Victor Harbor, and has similar plans for several other towns.
Source: iTWire
More staff than customers on NBN books
The government company rolling out the National Broadband Network has more staff than it does customers.
Source: Australian IT
Abbott just doesn't get the NBN, says Gillard
Prime Minister Julia Gillard yesterday morning accused Opposition Leader Tony Abbott of not understanding the technology behind the National Broadband Network, as the fibre-based project was formally launched on the mainland in the Northern NSW city of Armidale.
Source: iTWire
Net addicts may not notice the difference
If you're a regular or even moderately heavy internet user, you may not notice a great deal of difference with the NBN.
Source: Australian IT
Telstra, NBN close to $9bn agreement
Telstra is expected to finalise its $9 billion agreement with NBN Co as early as next week.
Source: Australian IT
Wed, 18th May 2011
Armidale NBN users armed with big broadband quotas
SPs Telstra, Internode and iiNet have furnished small numbers of existing customers in the NSW regional town of Armidale with the first NBN fibre connections on the mainland - and at least 200 GB of quota to play with.
Source: iTnews Australia
Optus pays $178k penalties to ACCC for misleading advertising
Rather than having to take Optus to court the ACCC has used the new consumer protection laws to hit Optus with 27 penalties totalling $178,200 for making false and misleading representations in its advertisements for its 'Max Cap' plans.
Source: iTWire
NBN Armidale launch: photos
The National Broadband Network (NBN) was officially launched at Armidale today by Prime Minister Julia Gillard, Communications Minister Stephen Conroy and Independent MP Tony Windsor.
Source: ZDNet Australia
Gillard praises home work options at NBN launch
The NBN will enable more people to "work where they live", according to Prime Minister Julia Gillard, who attended the opening of the NBN Co network on the mainland in Armidale today where the home work possibilities were showcased at length.
Source: Computerworld
Conroy dismisses NBN cost claims
Communications Minister Stephen Conroy has rubbished opposition claims there are cheaper ways than the NBN to deliver fast internet.
Source: Australian IT
Windsor convinced of NBN 18 months ago
Federal independent MP, Tony Windsor, this week said his support for the National Broadband Network (NBN) extended back some 18 months, instead of making a choice during the two-week stalemate following last year's federal election.
Source: Computerworld
PM switches on Armidale NBN, announces digital education funding
Prime Minister Julia Gillard officially launched the first National Broadband Network (NBN) mainland test site in Armidale and has flagged more funding for an education project as part of the Digital Regions Initiative.
Source: ARN
Vodafone wireless broadband reviewed
Vodafone's plan pricing is competitive, but as our review reveals, network speeds and availability lag badly.
Source: PC Authority
Telstra cable cut in road-widening project
Telstra has restored services to 1,290 customers in the NSW Blue Mountains town of Hazelbrook after contractors widening a road cut through a key phone cable last week.
Source: iTnews Australia
Tue, 17th May 2011
Telstra's copper must be in NBN deal: Libs
The Coalition is keen for the government buy-back of Telstra's copper network as part of the National Broadband Network Company (NBN Co)'s deal with the telco worth $11 billion - just in case the party needs it for its own broadband policy.
Source: ZDNet Australia
NBN launch: Gillard, Conroy pack Armidale bags
National Broadband Network hype is expected to soar to record levels this week, with the Federal Government and NBN Co preparing to host the formal launch of NBN mainland services in the Northern NSW city of Armidale this Wednesday.
Source: iTWire
NBN cops a month of buffeting, can it weather the storm?
Over the past month, it seems as if the National Broadband Network and NBN Co, the company charged with making it happen, have been hit by a cyclone. With its greatest champion, the federal government, on the ropes over a number of issues, can the NBN weather the storm?
Source: iTWire
Optus 3G tower raises airport concerns
Optus has urged Clarence Valley Council to approve a 40 metre 3G tower near Grafton airport, despite concerns it could pose a risk to aircraft.
Source: iTnews Australia
FetchTV eyes top 10 ISPs to take on Telstra
Australian IPTV start-up FetchTV has flagged plans to ink deals with the 10 largest local service providers outside of Telstra by the end of the year in efforts to form a competitive "coalition" against the incumbent telco's popular T-Box service.
Source: Computerworld
vividwireless allies with Global TD-LTE Initiative
Vividwireless has become part of the Global TD-LTE Initiative (GTI), joining a band of telco operators from all over the world united to promote TD-LTE as the major standard in the mobile broadband arena.
Source: ARN
Optus, Qantas in Frequent Flyer team-up
Optus customers will soon be able to earn Qantas Frequent Flyer points from their consumer and business accounts and services after a new partnership was announced today between the airline and the number two telco.
Source: ZDNet Australia
Quigley denies construction tender was flawed
The company charged with the rollout of the National Broadband Network (NBN), NBN Co, has denied its original construction tender process was flawed to begin with and ultimately resulting in the suspension of its procurement process, stranding 14 bidders.
Source: Computerworld
I got it wrong, Quigley tells MPs
NBN chief Michael Quigley has admitted making more incorrect claims about his past as one of the top executives of French telecommunications giant Alcatel.
Source: Australian IT
Optus doubles up on mobile promises
The nation's number two telco, Optus, has defended its investment in Tasmania after the revelation that a number of the sites that it announced on the weekend that will shortly receive 3G mobile coverage in the state were first earmarked for network roll-outs back in 2008.
Source: ZDNet Australia
Revealed: NBN Co's IT strategy
NBN Co has adopted a 'buy over build' approach to IT, choosing to adopt cloud computing services and commercial off-the-shelf software rather than develop its own applications.
Source: iTnews Australia